Mountain Tops
by polykhromatik
Summary: AU: Helena Cain and Gina venture out beyond the mountain home in search of food. They have to work together. Previous story was Nuclear Summer, see profile for list of stories. Complete and enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own the characters.**

Cain took a bite of a hamburger that she made and grimaced. She put it down next to the vegetables. She started to eat the vegetables without much enthusiasm but gave up. Instead, Cain dipped a biscuit in chocolate syrup.

"What is it?" asked Gina, as she put down her hamburger. "Is it that bad?"

Cain pushed her plate away and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"I'm tired of eating faux burgers, faux meatloaf, legumes and beans. Aren't you tired of it?"

Gina nodded yes.

"Do we not have any ketchup or something?"

"We ran out a month ago," said Gina, as she helped herself to some vegetables. "We do have Tabasco sauce."

"I wish we had meat, red meat, white meat, any meat, if we could only have real meat once in a while."

Cain's latest food fantasy for the week: filet mignon, small potatoes with lightly sautéed, pearl onions and portabella mushrooms cooked in real butter with no vegetables. Brie cheese with a crusty loaf of bread and a triple layered chocolate cake with red wine served in a crystal glass. She would even settle for a real greasy hamburger and fries.

"Just pretend it's something else. That's what I do," said Gina, as she gave Cain the Tabasco sauce bottle.

"Tell me what your fantasy meal is?"

Gina hesitated and finally spoke.

"Remember that restaurant by the lake. We had lunch there before we came up here. I ordered the venison and you ordered fish. I know it wasn't a fancy restaurant but it was nice."

"Yes, I do. The food was alright; it turned out you preferred what I had so we exchanged plates."

Cain also recalled they had a little too much wine as well. After lunch, they went for a stroll along the lake and rested in each other arms near the lake.

"Shouldn't we be going?" asked Gina. She sat against a boulder with Cain resting in her lap.

"Mmm, I'm enjoying myself with you," smiled dreamily Cain, as she pulled Gina closer. Gina bent down and softly kissed Cain.

"I wish the water was warmer, I would love to go for a swim," said Gina, as she looked at the lake and then back at Cain.

"We could come back when it's warmer," said Cain, as she ran her fingers in Gina's long hair. Gina shifted her body and rested beside and Cain pulled her close and kissed her.

"I am so glad you convinced me to take some time off," whispered Cain. "I haven't had vacation for a long time." She watched Gina unbuttoned her blouse and then taking off her bra.

Gina also remembered that day. After they made love, Gina was snuggling in Cain's arms and rested her head against Cain's. She had enjoyed the warmth of Cain's body.

Cain cleared her throat, "Gina, could you please pass the water pitcher." She felt flush and choked up.

Gina was silent and was deep in her thoughts; she finally responded.

"Here it is, I think I need a drink of water too," replied Gina, hoarsely. "I think I may have a dustball in my throat." Her cheeks were warm and felt relieved when she finished off the remaining water in her glass.

Changing the subject, "How are your plants coming along?" asked Cain.

"Good, I noticed a few buds emerging a few days ago. I do hope they survive. When the last freeze passes, I'm going to take them out for some fresh air. I know the summer season is short up here but the sunshine would do them some good," said Gina, as she helped herself to some more water. "What about you?"

"The plants and vegetables are fine. Low maintenance if you know what I mean. I've been thinking about something lately. I want to plan for an expedition for meat," smiled Cain. "There has to be other mountains that have life. Some may have lakes above the clouds."

"That could mean fish and fowl," said Gina, excitedly.

"Exactly, and also some four-legged creatures," grinned Cain. "I'm going to study the maps and aeronautical charts."


	2. Chapter 2

Cain was piloting the raptor just above the radioactive cloud deck. She had plotted her course on the map and was using a combination visual and instrument flight cues to navigate the mountain tops. Gina remarked they looked like islands in a sea of clouds. Cain reminded her they were radioactive clouds. Like Icarus, she flew close to the clouds to confuse any potential Cylons raiders but not to close in case one of the clouds had a hiccup.

Just on cue, the mountain top with the lake appeared. She guided the raptor and made a circular pass around the mountain lake looking for a spot to land.

"Look," exclaimed Gina, as she pointed at a herd of Bighorn sheep. They were grazing near the lake.

"Yes, I see them," said Cain.

The sheep had some how managed to survive the ravages of war thought Cain. Suddenly her mind went to how many steaks one could provide and her stomach started to tighten in anticipation. She envisioned a barbecue ribs with barbecue sauce.

The raptor landed close to the lake with the trees nearby trees to provide camouflage. The Bighorn sheep began move to the opposite side of the lake. They decided to set up camp near the trees and began to scout the area.

The next morning they would go hunting. Cain had read somewhere that animals like to feed in the early morning and late afternoon. Gina had asked if she ever hunted animals before, Cain said no and Gina admitted she didn't have hunting experience either.

* * *

Cain was alarmed when a small creature was crawling towards the bait they had set in the morning; they used green shoots growing near the lake. They were hidden behind craggy rocks near the lake waiting patiently and watching for Bighorn sheep to appear for several hours. Cain had been lying in the prone position on the cold ground, waiting patiently what seem forever.

Occasionally, some would come close but not close enough for Cain to get a good shot; they were just out of range. She thought they were deliberately teasing her, of course she knew the sheep weren't capable of teasing. Sometimes she would try to get closer but the sheep would scamper away. Then they decided to use food as bait; fruits, vegetables and biscuits were placed, and they waited again. Now a large, plump rodent was going to spoil their plans.

"Damnit, that rodent or whatever is stealing our bait," said Cain, as she was looking through the rifle scope. She centered her sights on the animal. Gina could see with the binoculars the animal was nibbling at the food.

"Take that you son of a biscuit eater," said Cain, as she fired her rifle. The rodent-like creature was hit immediately and it fell over while the sheep dashed away from the gunshot sound.

They went up to the creature and Cain shook her head. The fruits and vegetables were scattered about, and the small biscuit was partially eaten. She started to gather the food as Gina went to get what was left of the animal. What a waste thought Cain, there had to be a better way.

"I wondered what it was?" asked Gina, as she examined the animal. It was the size of a large rabbit. "Maybe it's edible, it could be white meat," smiled Gina, as she picked it up.

Cain frowned; she was hoping to bag something bigger than this small animal. She assembled the bait again.

"Let's try again; maybe the sheep will come back. If not we could try to eat this thing," said Cain, as she looked in disdain at the creature that Gina held.

When the Bighorn sheep did not come back that afternoon, they went back to their camp and began to prepare supper. Gina was glad she didn't have to see the head of the animal when she skinned and cleaned the animal. She felt her gut rise but soldiered on and put on a brave face.

She was relieved when Cain was tending to the cooking. She had felt queasy through out the whole ordeal when she had to gut the rodent. Cain had placed the animal on stick and rotated it over fire while a small pot of vegetables was simmering nearby. When Gina came back from cleaning herself at the lake she brought a water container. Cain was already carving the meat. Gina placed the water container next to the fire pit and Cain started to make some tea.

"I think it's cooked? But let me know what you think?" asked Cain, as she served Gina supper.

"It sort of taste like chicken," observed Gina, as she took a bite. "But then again, it's been awhile since I've had chicken. Not bad though," commented Gina, as she chewed on the meat. "I'm glad you put some spices in the vegetable stew," said Gina, as placed pieces of the meat in her stew.

She couldn't believe she was eating a rodent-like animal but quickly pushed that thought away. She was glad Cain had made a vegetable stew. Mixing the meat with the vegetables made the main meal more palatable and less obvious. After awhile she didn't care, she was hungry. She was curious about desert, Cain had mentioned something about S'mores, which she wasn't familiar with. Maybe it would be tastier.

Cain nodded in silence.

"Agreed, it tastes gamy, stringy, but overall not bad for meat," smiled Cain, as she placed the bits of the meat in her vegetable stew as well. She wished she had brought more seasoning. She was looking forward to having desert.

"Maybe we can try your idea tomorrow," said Cain.

Cain hoped she wasn't condemned to eating oversized furry rodent-like creatures for the rest of her life as she reclined back against a packing container. She wondered what Gina's thoughts were as she looked up at the constellation of stars.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Cain and Gina were at the lake. They had large nets wounded up around a thin pole and Gina was preparing the bait. Earlier that morning, they had gone digging for insects and earthworms. Fishing poles were nearby if Gina's plan didn't work.

The plan was to corral the fish into a small inlet and box them in with a large net. Then pluck the fish out using a small hand nets and put them in containers. They both had PVC chest waders on as they entered the cold lake water.

Gina discussed with Cain, the fish would probably be hungry since it was spring and she thought luring and herding them might work. Cain hoped so because the water felt cold as she treaded gingerly on the lake bottom with the large fish net. She shivered as she went to the deep end; her chest wader did not have much insulation.

Gina placed the bait ball in the inlet and waited quietly. She watched a few fish swim near her and then towards the bait. She waited for more fish before she gave the signal to Cain. When Gina saw enough fish she waved her arm. Cain quickly unraveled the net and began to seal the small cove. Cain tugged the heavy net nearer to Gina, trapping the fish closer to Gina. Meanwhile Gina scooped the captured fish and placed them in water-filled containers. Cain pulled the net even closer towards Gina.

"My gods, it's working," exclaimed Cain, as she secured the net and started to help Gina place the fish in the containers. Seeing all the all the fish in containers made her stomach grumble. Finally we're going to get have meat and fresh meat at that thought Cain.

Early, afternoon the containers were neatly lined up near the campsite. Cain and Gina had worked together lugging the heavy water filled containers with fish from the lake to the campsite. They were resting against the containers.

"Gina this was a good idea and I'm so proud of you!" praised Cain, as she looked at the containers and then back at Gina. "I'm so glad this worked out."

"We could have a fish-fry that you keep telling me about," beamed Gina. She hoped they were tasty; she could hardly wait for dinner.

Cain smiled also. Then a movement caught her eye and she turned her head. Across the lake, she noticed the Bighorn sheep were grazing by the lake again. Gina saw them too.

"There they are again; I think they're teasing us," said Cain, as she watched them grazing for small green shoots. She wished she had her rifle with her and sighed.

"One day we'll get one and I'll help you," said Gina.

"And will you help me clean and dress the animal?" asked Cain. "You're the expert now."

She recalled how pale Gina looked yesterday; she nearly gagged as well and was grateful when Gina volunteered.

"Sure, I will. I'll watch and show you, so you can be an expert as well," grinned Gina.

"Come on, let's make dinner." Gina hoped she could take a nap while Cain would fillet the fish. She was physically exhausted.

* * *

Later that afternoon they started to pack up a few items. Tomorrow morning they would finish up and then fly home with the fish they captured. Cain was physically tired as well and sat down for a moment, she had just finished filleting most of the fish for Gina to cook. It seem every part of body ached. Gina noticed that Cain was sitting by the containers.

"You rest, I finish up and start cooking," said Gina.

"I should have taken a nap as well, I am suffering from what they call 'old age' and it sucks," said Cain, as she put the prepared fish on a platter for Gina to cook.

"Helena, you're not old, why I remember when we use to go out the things that we did. We're not use to this physical work, in no time you'll be running after these sheep. If anybody is old it would be me or rather the template."

"Maybe the lake water will invigorate me," smiled Cain, as she grabbed a small backpack

Cain had remembered when she asked Gina about the originals that were used to make the new generation Cylons. Cain sometimes wondered what the original Gina was like. However, this Gina had only bits and pieces of the original in her memory and she said it was both a blessing and curse. She didn't like to think about the template too much because it made her feel worthless.

"Helena when I found out I was a duplicate I didn't feel unique anymore. A part of me wanted to learn more about the template to understand her but a part of me didn't want know. I felt like an empty shell. More than ever, I want to be my own person."

When Cain came back from washing up in the lake, she sat near the campfire to warm up and rubbed her fingers. She watched Gina prepare supper in silence. Cain never thought she would see the day that Gina dress and clean a small animal, and now cook fish. Then again, she never thought she would be chasing sheep all over a mountain and wading in a cold lake unraveling a fish net.

Before the attacks, they would eat out often and they rarely cooked so she didn't know what Gina's cooking abilities were. Cain was both impressed and amused. She cooked like an engineer; she would study the recipes as if it were a technical manual. Then when she was cooking she would neatly lay out the necessary utensils by category, and measure the ingredients very precisely, it almost made Cain chuckle. She also looked like she was enjoying cooking observed Cain.

When Cain use to have time to cook she would occasionally experimented on recipes. However, when she was assigned to the Pegasus and responsible for the Scorpion shipyard she didn't have the time. Instead, she had a personal cook assigned to her.

Cain sat closer near campfire without being overwhelmed by the heat. She took off the towel holding her wet, thick hair and started to shivered. She zipped up her hooded sweatshirt and wrapped a blanket around her. She wished she had a blow dryer as she began to wrung and brush her long hair. She envied Gina; her fine hair probably takes no time to dry and must be easier to comb than her thick hair.

"There's a clean, extra towel, in this container," gestured Gina, as she was stirring the vegetable soup. She saw Cain trying to dry her hair near the fire; she wished she had thick hair.

"You're so lucky to have fine hair than mine, I should chop mine off," joked Cain.

"You wouldn't dare do that."

Gina remembered brushing that thick hair and how she use to luxuriate in it as she ran her fingers through it. It would mesmerize Cain when Gina brushed her hair and was occasionally a prelude to foreplay. Gina's hair would never grow that long, instead she would have stringy looking hair.

"I'm kidding, but it's becoming unmanageable," said Cain, as she glanced up at Gina.

Cain noticed that Gina's face was slightly sunburned giving her cheeks soft a glow with her hair tied back. She touched her own cheeks they too felt slightly warm. Cain remembered how Gina used to looked, her hair coiffed with curls dangling on the side. She loved how the soft, silky hair felt as she when she ran her fingertips through it. She looked good either way.

Then Cain admonished herself. She quickly averted her eyes and stared at the fire. She quickly put up the hood of her sweatshirt to stay warm and to hide her face. She couldn't believe she was still thinking of Gina. It was her looks that attracted her in the first place and then it was her charming demeanor coupled with her intelligent dialog. Then one thing lead to another, sighed Cain. Suddenly, she felt too warm and took off the blanket. She abruptly got up.

"Where are you going? Dinner's almost ready," remarked Gina, as noticed that Cain was leaving.

"I need . . . I have a nature call," sputtered Cain. What Cain almost said was I need some space.

"Please be careful, it's dark already," said Gina, as she was thinking of wild animals with sharp teeth. She heard some howling last night.

"I'm a big girl," said Cain without looking back.

"There could be predators out there."

"Really, like Cylons?"

Gina narrowed her eyes and she slammed the spatula down against a rock and almost broke it. She wondered if Cain was in one of those badass moods, as she shook her head

"I'm just trying to look out for us," said Gina, as Cain was walking off.

She wanted to go after Cain but she did not want to leave the food unattended. The fish was almost cooked and the soup was boiling. Another thing was she didn't feel comfortable walking in the dark, especially in unfamiliar places.

When Cain reached the raptor, she sighed in relief. She took a couple of deep breaths to try to calm down but she was beginning to shake and she leaned against the raptor for support. She wished she was back in the mountain home where she could be alone in her room.

The more she tried to stay still the worse it became and she decided to do something to occupy herself. She started to look for extra blankets. She grabbed the blankets whether they were needed or not. Then she gasped and could not hold back. She punched the blankets. Then she cried into the blankets and pulled them against her face hoping to muffle the sound.

Gina was debating again whether she should go find Cain. She had just placed the last of the fish on a platter and saw Cain had come back.

"I was beginning to wonder where you went to?" smiled Gina. "I thought you were going to hunt …"

Cain didn't answer but sat next to the campfire without looking directly to Gina. She focused her eyes on dinner; it was laid out the ground like a picnic. Gina had placed a container top on the ground with a clean colorful towel. Plates, cups, silverware, and condiments were neatly placed along with the main course. She didn't feel hungry but the fried fish seem appealing but thought hot tea might be best.

"Are you alright?" asked Gina, as she approached Cain. She noticed that Cain was barely responsive and wasn't looking at her.

"Just indigestion. I'll be OK," said Cain, as she poured herself some tea without looking up.

"Oh," said Gina, as she stopped mid-stream. "Do you need an antacid?"

"No. Go ahead and eat. I'll have some soup; maybe I'll have some fish later."

Gina ate her dinner in silence and was concerned. Every time she asked or talked to Cain she would get a monosyllabic response. Up to this point Gina had enjoyed this outing if you could call it an outing.

During this outing, they saw and spoke to each other more often. Moreover, it had been over year since Gina slept this close to Cain, even though it was separate sleeping bags. Understandably, at the mountain home, Cain had her own room when Gina confessed she was a Cylon. So much had change between them, yet some things were the same. She remembered the long conservations she once had with Helena.

Now, at the mountain home, they had halting dialog almost businesslike however sometimes they had small conservations. To Gina they were gems, which she treasured and she would write them down in a black writing book often rereading them as if they were a story. Cain wondered what in the world was in the black book. She used to think she it was diary but then she notice Gina writing down recipes and once caught her sketching her rose bush.

Occasionally, they were snarky and bitchy at each other. She wished for more but did not blame Helena. Gina had so much so say but kept it inside until it boiled over. She would act whiny which in turn exasperated Cain even further, and it made her cry at times when it was too much to bear. This evening the conversation was one-sided and Gina wished Cain would talk to her; she wondered if Cain was sad, she seem so preoccupied so distant.

Gina began to think what she liked about this outing to lift her spirits. She mused, if wasn't for hunting and gathering food it would have been a camping/hiking trip. She had never gone camping or hiking before and wondered what it would have been like to have gone with Cain. She never thought she would be doing this, sleeping outside in a sleeping bag.

When they use to go out, they always rented a cabin or stayed in top hotels. They had no problem enjoying the outdoors so long as they had a comfortable bed and indoor plumbing. Gina looked up and noticed Cain was helping herself for fried fish.

She wanted to open her heart to Helena and just talk to her. Tomorrow they would go back to the mountain home and they would go back to the same routine. They would only see each other during the meals and occasionally bumped into each other. She wished Cain would talk, she thought the day had started with a bang but it was ending with a whimper.

Gina was glad to see that Cain was finally eating the main course and began to speak.

"I know it's my turn to tell a story but I'm having a hard time coming up with one. I really like the stories you told me last night, the ones associated with the stars," said Gina, as she helped herself to some more fish.

"Make one up or talk about anything," said Cain, as she started to eat the fried fish. She was glad that Gina was talking. The silence was deafening and she hoped Gina would keep talking.

Gina was quiet.

To break the silence Cain finally asked," which story did you like?"

"Actually all them," said Gina, as she was thinking the stories related to big and small bears. "However, the one that catches my imagination is the one about the half-mortal. I like how he accomplished numerous tasks and while fighting monsters."

"Why don't you expand on that story?"

"That sounds interesting. I think I would prefer a story about two women going on adventures or something."

"So what you're saying is you don't have story yet," said Cain, as she finally looked at Gina.

Gina nodded no and looked away briefly. She looked back at Helena, and wanted to say please talk to me but felt nervous. She decided to take a chance since Cain had opened the door for talking.

"Last night, after you told me stories I was a sad. When you asked what was wrong, I lied," began Gina.

Cain remembered Gina had been restless last night and was tossing and turning in her sleeping bag. Cain couldn't get to sleep with all the racket and she finally asked what was wrong but Gina said nothing was wrong. However, Cain could tell she was sad but Gina insisted she was OK.

"Helena I … I miss the way we use to talk; I mean how we really use to talk. Understandably, why should we talk? But last night and this whole trip has been a breath of fresh air. I hope we can do this again," said Gina and she gulped down some air to calm her stomach. "And you what do you miss?"

Cain got up and sat next Gina.

"Gina, I have regrets; I should have been there for my sister, I shouldn't have left her behind. But I also miss this," said Cain, as she held Gina's hand in her hand for a moment.

Gina was surprised and quiet.

"I hope you work on the story about the two women, I like to hear it."

"I will," whispered Gina, as she gently squeezed Cain's hand.


End file.
